Covid-19: Hong Kong's hospitals packed to capacity amid nerve-wracking outbreak

Hong Kong, February 16: Hong Kong is currently witnessing a surge in the Covid-19 cases and is struggling to curb the nerve-wracking outbreak in the territory, according to a media report. As the territory continues to battle the highly contagious new variant of Covid-19, Omicron, the hospitals in the city are running over-capacity, revealed the Hong Kong Free Press. On Wednesday, the territory reported 4,285 fresh coronavirus cases, the highest ever daily tally since the pandemic began about two years ago. The city has reported 26,670 cases and 224 Covid-related deaths since the beginning of the pandemic in 2022, said Hong Kong Free Press, adding that overwhelmed, understaffed and ill-equipped Hong Kong hospitals are currently struggling to deal with its fifth wave of Covid-19. According to China Daily, Chuang Shuk-Kwan, head of the Centre for Health Protection's communicable disease branch, in a press briefing said that the new cases comprised 21 imported infections and 4,264 local cases. Also Read | Manipur Elections 2022: Priyanka Gandhi promises unemployment allowance Hong Kong is speeding up its attempts to enhance its Covid-19 testing capability with help from Chinese mainland authorities, according to city officials, as the city fights to contain the virus's aggressive fifth wave. Meanwhile, the President of China, Xi Jinping on Wednesday took the unusual step of directly calling on Hong Kong officials to take "all necessary measures," according to reports by two Chinese state-run newspapers. Xi's intervention has sparked fears that more restrictions, similar to those in mainland China, could be implemented soon, including a possible citywide lockdown. So far, the local government has ruled out such a move, claiming that imposing it on a population of more than 7 million people would be impractical. However, Xi's statements make it obvious that Hong Kong has no choice but to follow China's hardline zero-Covid strategy. Also Read | Elections 2022: BJP mocks Congress, says 'stop daydreaming about winning in Goa' -PTC News